Victoria waited outside for what seemed like hours. She had draped herself over her horse for a while before becoming rather uncomfortable and dismounting. After standing for a few minutes she had sat down, but the prickly grass poked through her skirts and she stood once more. She was leaning against a tree, enjoying the sun on her face as she intently picked petals off a daisy, when she saw the door of the building open, framing Callum in conversation with a man in red. She had seen the man in the interesting attire at the train station yesterday. She would have to ask Sarah what the uniform was all about. She realized she was slightly exposed where she was and slipped farther back into the trees with her horse, holding her still as she waited for Callum to head back down the trail before she would resume her tail.
Star nudged her with a low whicker, and Victoria turned to pet her neck and keep her silent.
Suddenly she jumped when a pair of hands grasped her waist. She let out a yelp and was ready to scream for help until she heard a voice in her ear. “Caught you.” She turned to find Callum looking down at her with a smile on his face. He released her waist, though he seemed to do so reluctantly.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a hand on her heart as though she could slow its racing pace. As much as she knew she was levelling accusations at him, she couldn’t help the pleasure that bloomed from deep within her at seeing him again. She yearned to jump into his arms, wrap her arms around him, and hold him close, making him promise to never let her go again. Instead, she threw out accusations. “You were supposed to travel elsewhere. You were supposed to be days away by now. Why are you in Qu'Appelle?”
“I was never supposed to be anywhere but here,” he replied, raising an eyebrow at her. “Besides, I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here, Victoria? Not here in the town as I’ve already heard about that, but here in the woods waiting for me?”
“I was not waiting for you,” she said indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was simply exploring.”
“You’re not a very good explorer,” he said with a slight quirk to his lips, “remaining in one place for over an hour.”
“It’s lovely scenery,” she said, though there was not much before them but a copse of trees. “What took you so long anyway?”
Callum smiled, seeming amused at her displeasure with him for making her wait while she spied on him. “One of the Mounties spotted you earlier, and someone was heading out to talk to you. I had noticed you following me earlier, so I told them not to worry, that I’d take care of it. Although why you are here, I have no idea.”
She turned away, giving herself a moment to regain her wits. She knew she looked the fool, and she certainly felt it as well. Finally she decided the truth was her best bet.
“I saw you on the road headed this way, and knowing nothing about why you were here or what you’re doing, I decided to find out for myself,” she explained, looking up at him earnestly. Why did his lips have to be so full, his chest so broad, his scent so incredibly masculine? “Why…” She forgot what she was saying for a moment but then shook her head to clear it. “Why would you not tell me where you were going?”
“Perhaps for the same reasons you kept your secrets from me?”
“Perhaps,” she said, conceding a small smile when she looked up at him. “Though I’m sure our reasons are quite different.”
The intensity with which he stared at her sped the heartbeat she had only just regained composure over. His jaw worked as though he was struggling to find words.
“I dinna know what I’m to do with you, lass,” he finally muttered, and she blinked, confused.
“What are you talking about?”
“The more I try to stay away from you…” He took a step toward her, lifting a hand to push back some of the tendrils of hair that had escaped her ribbon. He tucked them behind her ear with tenderness surprising for a man with hands his size. Victoria shivered when his fingers brushed against her skin.
“The more we are pushed together?” she finished for him, and he chuckled lowly as he shook his head.
“The more you keep coming back,” he suggested, to which she started.
“I hardly think—”
But her words were cut off when he closed the small gap remaining between them, replaced his hands upon her hips, bent his head, and crushed his lips down on hers.
Victoria stood for a moment, immobile and taken off guard by the suddenness of it all. It wasn’t her first kiss — a stable hand in London had taken that, at her request for she had been curious — but this was so utterly different she wondered that they could even be described as the same action.
Callum’s lips were warm upon hers, firm, yet insistent. It was as though sparks set at their touch, as though the kiss coursed through her entire being. His lips moved on hers, searching, teasing, until she opened her mouth to him, eager for all he could offer her. She lifted her hands, and wound her fingers into his silky brown hair, pulling him closer.
Any distance that had remained during their travels seemed to melt away as the truth of just how much she craved his attention revealed itself to her now that she was in his arms.
The need that had begun to build when she had first run into him on the deck wound through her as he poured out his own interest through his kiss. His hands roamed down her sides to cup her bottom. When she pressed herself shamelessly against him, he pulled back away from her so suddenly that she was left gasping and would likely have fallen over if it weren’t for the fact that he still kept a grip on her hips. As he slowly released her, she felt bereft, as though he was taking a piece of her with him.
“I should not have done that,” he said, his hand in his hair, his face in turmoil as he stared at her. “I’m ever so sorry, Victoria.”
And with that, he took a step back, and without another word, hurried away, back to the barracks, leaving her staring after him, a hand on her lips as she wondered what had just happened.
* * *
The next couple of days were a whirlwind for Victoria as she adjusted to life in the Northwest Territories. Of course, she couldn’t remove the memory of that kiss with Callum — nor the callous way he had ended it.
She had been conflicted on how to react to it all. With pleasure? Indignation? She was angry at his dismissal. But she also became tingly from her head to her very toes, completely shaken every time she thought of it. One thing was for certain – she would find out more about Callum McDougall, whether he wanted her to or not.
In the meantime, however, there was much else to attend to. She spent a great deal of her time helping Sarah at the doctor’s clinic. Victoria didn’t have much medical knowledge, but she caught on fast and did enough around the office to allow Sarah and the doctor to spend more time with the patients’ medical worries.
Victoria was also making an effort to become better acquainted with the people of Qu’Appelle. Sarah introduced Victoria to her good friend, Mrs. Johnson, who ran the boarding house with her husband. She had put in a word with Charlie to pass on a message to Maisie and Gilbert the next time they were in for supplies and she eagerly anticipated the visit.
Not that she had a dearth of visitors. Sarah had told her of how the young men outnumbered the women so greatly here, but it was one thing to read of it in a letter and another altogether to experience it firsthand. It seemed every evening there were men lined up at the door in order to introduce themselves. Some had asked Victoria out for a walk or to come in for tea. Sarah had invited in a few whom she knew, and while there were many polite young men, none had stirred even a modicum of interest the way a certain contradictory Highlander did.
Victoria found her role greeting the patients who arrived at the doctor’s office suited her, and she quickly came to understand how to determine who was an emergency patient and had proven adept at keeping the office organized. Dr. Hampton was quiet, but he seemed to appreciate Victoria’s work, always providing her with a thank you and a head nod at the end of the d
ay. It was rewarding to feel that she finally was good for something besides marriage.
Victoria had caught her Aunt Sarah watching her on occasion with concern, though Victoria wondered just what had given her cause. Every once in a while Sarah mentioned how she assumed it had been difficult to leave a life like the one Victoria had had in London to come to a small town in the middle of nowhere. It was different having someone to share the life, she had explained, than to be a woman on her own. Victoria brushed off her words, telling her not to be silly — she wasn’t alone, not when she had Sarah with her to keep her company.
As Victoria helped Sarah prepare supper one evening, her mind kept wandering, as it often did, back to Callum. To be honest, he was always somewhere near the forefront of her thoughts. Never before had a man affected her so, and try as she might, she couldn’t push him from her mind. She hadn’t seen him since their meeting in the woods, but it had been a busy couple of days in the clinic.
“Victoria,” Sarah said one evening as they prepared for dinner, “I have been remiss in sharing some excitement. There’s to be a dance next week. It’s—” Sarah broke off when Victoria’s face fell. “I know you dislike dances, and I understand. But it’s not the type of dance that you’re used to. This one is actually about the dance itself and having fun. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Everyone from town and beyond will attend as it’s a barn-raising celebration.” She pursed her lips and tilted her head as she studied Victoria. “None of that, now. I can see you are already formulating an excuse in your head, but there isn’t one that will suffice. Promise you’ll come.”
“Of course I’ll come,” Victoria said, though she did so in order to appease her aunt more than anything else. “However, Aunt Sarah, I do hope it’s nothing like the balls in England. I’m so tired of matchmaking, with the women in the corner, giggling behind their silly fans, judging each girl that comes in, commenting on the dress she is wearing, who her parents are, who she dances with. It’s really quite exhausting.”
“It is nothing like that.” Sarah chuckled. “Now hand me the butter. And what do you think about attending with Dr. Hampton?”
“Dr. Hampton?” Victoria looked up from the potatoes she was cutting, surprised. She wiped her hands on her apron as she considered him as anything other than a doctor.
She really didn’t know him well at all, despite working in his office for the past few days. He was nice enough. Plain, British, about fifteen years older than she was, she assumed. He seemed pleasant, but certainly not the type to attend a dance with, and not someone she wanted to be matched with, if she even wanted to be matched at all.
“Yes, Dr. Hampton,” said Sarah with a smile, and Victoria realized Sarah had planned this from the beginning— asking about the dance, and then subtly sneaking in Dr. Hampton’s name. “He’s a lovely gentleman. I know you’re not interested in finding a husband right now, Victoria, but you never know when you just might be surprised by someone. And there may be more there, under the surface.”
Victoria tapped her fingers on the counter and sighed. “Please, Aunt Sarah, I know you mean well, truly I do, but I’d prefer not to be matched with anyone at present. Can I not attend with you?”
“Well, I thought perhaps Charlie would accompany me. But if you would prefer—”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I’ll be fine, Aunt Sarah. You should go with Charlie,” Victoria said with a smile, as her aunt’s face had lit up just at the mention of Charlie’s name. Victoria would sacrifice some of her time to the doctor if it meant her aunt might find happiness again. Every time Charlie came around, Sarah appeared years younger, giddy like a debutante.
Victoria also knew the real reason she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of attending with Dr. Hampton. She had been fool enough to hope that Callum would call on her, however, he was nowhere to be found. It was likely as she suspected, that he was already attached. Or perhaps a man like him was simply adept at attracting women. Those brief moments of closeness between the two of them that had taken her breath away were likely a regular occurrence for him. To her, their kiss had felt like so much more, but she was being foolish. She had literally followed him through the woods on a horse and waited around like one of the silly girls she usually so disdained.
Besides, she kept telling herself, she should be happy that was the way it is, for she didn’t want anything more than that. Perhaps if she distracted herself enough, he would leave her mind.
“I will go with Dr. Hampton,” said Victoria, forcing cheerfulness into her voice. “But simply as an escort to a dance, nothing more.”
“Yes,” said Sarah, turning so fast Victoria convinced herself she hadn’t seen the glint in her eye. “Nothing more.”
14
Packing dresses hadn’t exactly been one of Victoria’s priorities for her voyage across the Atlantic — and she hadn’t much need for the majority of the clothing she had worn in London. Her fine silk dresses would never have survived the muddy roads or brambles in the prairie grasses she walked through. The absence of a corset would also mean that most of her dresses would no longer fit, a fact Victoria had ignored when she’d abandoned the blasted thing.
She did, however, have a pretty lavender cotton dress that would be perfect for this evening’s dance. She took extra time with her hair, determined to pin it properly. Dressing alone took some practice as Mary had always helped her with that at home. Victoria couldn’t say she had perfected the process, but she was improving — by the end of each day, a few strands remained in place.
“Victoria!” Sarah called upstairs. “Dr. Hampton has arrived!”
Victoria took a breath, looked in the mirror one last time, and hurried out the door. As she descended the stairs, she decided this was all too reminiscent of the matchmaking that she had abhorred in England. At least this time she knew Sarah had her best interests in mind. She reminded herself that she was doing this for her aunt. She would have a careful, politely worded conversation with her later. But for now, Victoria maintained her manners and greeted Dr. Hampton, who did look well put together in his Sunday best.
“Well, off you go now,” said Sarah, ushering them out the door.
“You are coming right away, are you not?” asked Victoria hopefully, not wanting to be left alone with Dr. Hampton for too long.
“We shall be there shortly,” Sarah replied with a knowing smile. “I’m not quite ready. Charlie should be here any minute. He would like a friend with him so he doesn’t have to arrive alone.”
A friend, Victoria smiled to herself. Her aunt’s affection for Charlie was obvious to everyone but Sarah herself.
Dr. Hampton led Victoria up onto his wagon. It doubled as a makeshift ambulance, but Victoria didn’t mind.
She chatted amiably with him as they rode out. He explained the premise of a barn-raising, and told her that the dance was just outside of Qu’Appelle, taking place in the barn itself. The late June weather was fairly warm that night, and Victoria hoped for a spirited evening. She was also looking forward to seeing Maisie, who she hoped would be in attendance. As for Callum … well, she wouldn’t think about Callum. Even if he was there, his lack of presence at her door certainly said enough, and she would take care to show him just how disinterested she was in return.
The party was in full swing by the time they reached the barn. Quite a few heads turned their way as Victoria and Dr. Hampton came through the door. Part of the interest was likely due to Victoria’s newness in town, but the other part was most obviously curiosity of seeing a woman on the doctor’s arm — the doctor who was normally too busy to pay attention to any young ladies in town.
“Victoria!”
Maisie came hurtling toward her through the crowd of men and women who were dressed in styles, colors, and fabrics varied as widely as the people themselves. Maisie enveloped Victoria in a warm embrace, knocking her back a step. Her pink gown was one Victoria hadn’t seen before, and it somehow strangely worked perfectly with her flaming red hair piled a
top her head. “I am so happy you came! How wonderful it is to see a familiar face. Everything is just so … different here!”
Victoria smiled back at her, fully understanding what her friend meant.
“May I meet this wonderful husband of yours?”
“Gilbert? Absolutely. Gilbert, come meet Victoria,” Maisie stepped away for a moment to take his arm and lead him over. Dr. Hampton nodded at Victoria, then paused to speak to an elderly couple, likely patients of his. Victoria turned her attention back to her friend. Gilbert looked as cheerful as he had the day he met his family at the train.
“Wonderful to meet you. Maisie has told me so much about you,” Gilbert said with a wink.
Victoria smiled, however a sense of unease settled over her as she wondered how much Maisie had shared, after Victoria had taken her into confidence about her reasons for leaving England. Hopefully Maisie hadn’t shared the entire truth, but Victoria was anxious. Perhaps she’d given Maisie too much information to hold to herself.
“Such a pleasure,” said Victoria, turning her attention back to Gilbert. “I hope we all see more of each other. And how is Archie?” She missed the young boy and hoped to see him again soon.
“Oh, wonderful,” said Gilbert, the pride in his boy apparent on his youthful face. “I’ve missed so much this past year. But we’ve started anew, and I won’t be missing anything anymore.”
“I’m so happy for it. It is such a pleasure meeting you. Gilbert, do you mind if I steal Maisie away for just one moment?”
“Absolutely,” said Gilbert without concern.
“Whatever is the matter?” asked Maisie as Victoria linked her arm through hers and moved them away from the crowd to the corner of the room. “Are you well?”
“Yes, of course,” answered Victoria quickly. “I just have a question of some importance. You did not tell Gilbert about why I left England, did you? I really should not have even shared that with you, but I do trust you.”
Callum’s Vow: The Victorian Highlanders Page 9